The suspect arrived in France without papers in 2014 and was arrested and convicted of glorifying terrorism in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told reporters Saturday night.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the government has “complete determination” to respond to the attack, which he blamed on ’’Islamist terrorism.″ France has been on high alert for extremist threats.
The suspect repeatedly said ’’Allahu akbar″ — “God is great” in Arabic — during the attack, the prosecutor said.
The French government will convene a special meeting Wednesday about immigration in the wake of the attack, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Sunday.
Four people were in custody Sunday after a deadly stabbing in eastern France that authorities linked to Islamic extremism, according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office.
